Poços de Caldas (MG)

The Poços de Caldas (MG) plant, established in 1965, was Alcoa’s first unit in the country. At the time, it was named Alcominas. Its activities began in 1970 and 10 years later it was renamed Alcoa Alumínio S.A.

Today, this unit has about one thousand employees and four integrated production areas: mining, refining, smelting and aluminum powder. Here, the company produces calcined alumina and hydrated alumina, metal in liquid form, billets, ingots and powdered aluminum – which is only made in the Brazil, out of all the units in Latin America.

Roughly 52% of the alumina produced is used to make aluminum. The other 48%, in the form of hydrate and alumina, go to industries that produce aluminum sulfate, paper, titanium dioxide, metal and lens polishing, sodium aluminates, fire retardants, glass, pigments, refractory products, ceramics, abrasives and electrofusion, among others. The metal is marketed in the
domestic and international markets.

Powdered aluminum (for the refractory, metalworking and chemical industries) is marketed domestically and also exported to Japan, Europe, the United States and Mercosur. The unit also produces fine powdered aluminum, used in pigments for the automotive industry and in electronic equipment.

Global Business Services (GBS) have also been located in Poços de Caldas since 2005. This is where the company centralizes the services of the administrative and financial areas.